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Chapter 712 Escort

"Lu Zhang has been captured and taken hostage?" This news was something they hadn't heard a thing about before, which really surprised Lu Qing and Zhu Yu.

"His Majesty was furious and intended to send troops to punish the Jie Kingdom. However, the court had been in turmoil recently, and many people had been implicated to varying degrees after Zhao Bi's incident. There were not many people who could lead troops into battle."

In addition, there were two groups of people who did not support going to war. One group felt that it was tantamount to disregarding the life of Prince Yi. Although Zhao Bi had done many bad things and had fallen from power, Prince Yi was still the emperor's own flesh and blood. Doing so would make people feel that the emperor did not care about his own blood ties, which would be criticized by future generations.

Another group felt that given the current situation, it wasn't advisable for King Jie to openly wage war, as it would easily result in mutual destruction and benefit no one. Therefore, since it's said that forced relationships are never happy, and His Highness Prince Yi seemed to dislike Princess Yi before, it would be better to simply agree to their conditions and exchange the two, which would be a win-win situation.

When Cao Tianbao said these words, his tone still carried a hint of resentment.

He wasn't exactly a warmonger, but he was a fierce general on the battlefield in the past.

Being repeatedly provoked by the Capricorns, and then having to meekly agree to their demands, was something he found hard to accept.

"So General Cao was entrusted by His Majesty to personally escort Princess Yi back to Jie Kingdom?" A scheming glint flashed in Lu Qing's eyes, but in the darkness of the night, no one but himself noticed it.

“Exactly.” Cao Tianbao looked at Lu Qing’s attire, which clearly resembled that of the Lan people. He then glanced at the resting group of Lan people’s porters on the other side and roughly understood as well. “Are you two planning to blend in with the Lan people’s delivery porters and return to the capital?”

Zhu Yu and Lu Qing remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement with his guess.

Cao Tianbao frowned and waved his large hand: "No, no, listen to my advice, we must not go back to the capital under any circumstances."

“We’re already two ‘dead men,’ what’s there to worry about?” Lu Qing asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"They say he's dead, but there's no body to be found. Although His Majesty hasn't sent anyone down to do anything about it, it's clear that some people are still worried about it." Cao Tianbao sighed. "You've been gone for so long, of course you have no way of knowing. I've been staying in the capital the whole time."

I've heard that anyone in the capital who looks somewhat like you two is inexplicably being investigated.

Including Yunyin Pavilion, where the carefree king used to like drinking and listening to music, it would be searched from the inside out by officials every few days. Do you think this is a coincidence?
If you ask me, it's clear someone was worried the news of your deaths was fake, and they've never been at ease!

Zhu Yu didn't respond. She felt that Lu Qing must have considered this situation before leaving Lan Di. The reason he still decided to return to the capital must be because he had his own plans.

However, their original plan clearly did not include the two variables: Lu Zhang, who was captured, and Cao Tianbao, who was escorting Yan Shu back to Jie territory.

She had noticed that Lu Qing seemed thoughtful while listening to Cao Tianbao speak, and she guessed that their plans might be about to change.

"General Cao is absolutely right. If it weren't for your reminder, my wife and I would not know what our situation would be like." Lu Qing cupped his hands to Cao Tianbao. "To be honest, General, we were indeed ambushed by villains before, but we were lucky enough to escape with our lives. Since then, we have been traveling around incognito."

But my status is different now than before, and the outside world is no longer the peaceful and prosperous place it once was. We don't want to go to Shuodi, fearing it might invite trouble and bring problems to my in-laws. Landi is also in decline now. We don't have any better options, so we decided to risk returning to the capital, which is, after all, the place I know best..."

"I'm afraid that's not the case either." Cao Tianbao sighed slowly, seemingly harboring a bellyful of resentment but forced to hold back due to the unfavorable timing. He could only hint at it and stop there. "The capital city now is not the same as it was when you arrived... Never mind, let's not talk about it!"

Zhu Yu, having discerned the underlying meaning in Lu Qing's words, guessed his intention and tugged at his sleeve with a worried expression: "You originally hoped that returning to the capital would bring some peace, but now that we can't go back, what are we going to do?"

“This…” Lu Qing frowned slightly, “Please allow me to think this through more carefully…”

Cao Tianbao looked at the two of them, frowned, and remained silent for a long time. After a while, as if he had made up his mind, he slapped his thigh and said, "You helped me in the past, and now I can't just stand by and watch you two be isolated and helpless!"

Otherwise, His Majesty specifically instructed that as long as Prince Yi can be safely returned, there should be no conflict with the Jie people.

Although the journey may not be peaceful, it's still better than just the two of you wandering around with two guards.

I know your guards are all excellent, but as the saying goes, two fists can't beat four hands. No matter how skilled the two of them are, they may not be able to withstand the enemy's superior numbers.

So, if you'd like, you might as well join my escort team.

Once we bring Prince Yi back, you can all join the group and come back to the capital with me.

Although my residence is not particularly grand, it should be adequate for you to stay temporarily. My servants are all very discreet.

"I'm not at ease while I'm not in the capital. Once you all come back with me, I'll see who has the guts to lead men into my residence to search for people!"

“In that case…” Lu Qing hesitated slightly, looked at Zhu Yu, seemingly unsure of what to do, and finally nodded, “Then we will thank the General for taking us in!”

Cao Tianbao nodded in satisfaction, feeling more and more that his arrangement was extremely thorough.

"General, you'll probably have to be extra careful on this trip." Lu Qing glanced in the direction where the corpses had already been buried. "Those people were quite skilled; they were definitely not ordinary scoundrels."

Someone probably didn't want Princess Yan Shu to return to Jiedi safely.

After all, if anything were to happen to her along the way, the Jie Kingdom would inevitably wage war against the Jin Kingdom.

"Yes, the journey may not be easy, but with so many of us, we should be able to protect her, a woman." General Cao snorted disdainfully, recalling the group of men who had ambushed them earlier.